


People Lessons 101

by orphan_account



Series: Like People Do [1]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Ambiguous Relationship Status, But it's a lot more then that, Gen, Heero needs to read more, Lack of Social Knowledge, M/M, References to gender reassignment surgeries, So get over it, Suggestions of vouyerism, can be taken at face value
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-30
Updated: 2013-06-30
Packaged: 2017-12-16 15:46:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/863766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lesson 3: If you tell someone that you don’t wish to be their boyfriend, I very much doubt they’ll go change their bits to make you happy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	People Lessons 101

**Author's Note:**

> The timeline is quite ambiguous, but definitely takes place after the series ends. That's all that I can say on that matter, for there's no real timeline at all. Just... epicness.

To outside observers, Chang Wufei and Duo Maxwell were far from friendly. Heero himself had a hard time seeing any source of camaraderie or affection between the two, yet it was present. One just had to translate the code found between the lines. So when Wufei opened the door to the shack he was residing in and was greeted by Duo and himself, anyone watching would have thought the two boys were unwelcome. For all Heero knew, that could be the case. Duo didn’t seem to care though.

“Wufflemuffin!” Duo cheered, latching his arms around the boy whose name he’d horribly slaughtered. Wufei sputtered, stiffening, before shoving the smaller boy away from him.

“Maxwell! Refrain yourself from touching my person, and _my name is Wufei_ , damn it!”

“Chill, we just need a place to crash for a little; figured you’d like the company. Maybe we can cure you!” Duo stated, his arms moving as he spoke. From flippant gestures to exaggerated ones, most of Duo’s speech was in his body.

A body that Duo tended to show off quite a bit. The Deathscythe pilot didn’t appear to have body shyness, wandering around with barely any clothes on - and sometimes none at all - when they had shared a living space. It didn’t matter who was present either. Quatre had been in the sitting room with Heero comparing past mission parameters when Duo had walked through. The blond had been struck speechless, mortified by how comfortable Duo was with striding around nude amongst company. Heero had often seen more of the other pilot than he felt was necessary.

It took thirty minutes of arguing, teasing, ducking, and cajoling before Heero and Duo had a place to sleep, leaving only one fuming Wufei as collateral damage. Heero, wisely, had stayed out of the discussion, instead setting himself up at the small folding table and hacking his way onto the strongest wireless signal nearby. Only a couple emails were new since he had last checked and recognizing the address of one, he clicked on the email and all that appeared was a couple of short sentences. Reading it, he quickly deleted the email before slamming the lid down. That caught the attention of the two (still) bickering friends, both looking over at him.

“Zero-Three has been located. He’s alive.”

Duo grinned widely, letting out a loud ‘Whoo!,’ and throwing his fist into the air. Wufei was much calmer about his display of relief, merely relaxing and nodding his head at the news.

“Sweet deal, when we gonna go pick ‘im up?” Duo asked, excitement at doing _anything_ except lying low blatantly visible. Heero shook his head, pushing away from the table and standing.

“We aren’t. Until there is more intel for some of the more cryptic insinuations, there will be no actions taken.”

“You’re fuckin’ kidding me, right ‘Ro?” Duo’s voice was cold, flat; the indigo stare meeting his own blue ones matching his voice.

“I do not have enough information. I will provide the details of what I know if you wish to continue searching for him. You seem to know more about everyone than is necessary,” Heero stated, walking out of the room. Duo’s soft footsteps quickly followed him and at a slower pace, Wufei’s solid and light steps joined Duo’s.

“You better. I’m not in the habit of abandonin’ my team, Heero.”

* * *

 

It was 03:24, according to the dimly glowing green light on the stove. Heero was awake, a blanket loosely draped over his waist and one arm cushioning his head. Hidden from sight was his gun, which his hand was loosely curled around. He had been dozing on and off throughout the night, never fully sleeping. A nudge against the sofa was all the warning he got before a warm body draped over his.

“‘Ro?” Duo spoke into his ear softly. “I’m sorry.”

“There is nothing to apologize for,” Heero replied, shifting onto his back. Duo moved with him, settling down onto his torso. His head rested in the crook of Heero’s neck, warm breaths dampening the flesh.

“I said you’re a bad leader. I’m sorry ‘bout that.”

Heero snorted, letting his hand that _wasn’t_ holding a weapon trail up Duo’s back, wrapping around his braid. He gave it a light tug, making Duo lift his head to meet his steady gaze.

“I _am_ a poor leader. I don’t work well with others; I have always worked best alone. There is nothing to forgive, because you are correct. You are giving me the knowledge that I need to be a better leader. Stop being stupid, and go to sleep.”

Duo grinned, letting his head fall back, and shifting into a more comfortable position. Duo’s body was light enough that it didn’t hinder Heero’s breathing, and he allowed himself to drift back into a light doze.

* * *

 

“Are you two... together?” Wufei questioned, setting a basket down next to the sofa. Heero was sitting cross-legged on the floor, folding towels. Looking up at Wufei, he raised a brow. The boy flushed slightly.

“I came down this morning, and noticed you two sleeping. He seemed quite...”

“He’s very tactile,” Heero said, setting the towel down on the growing stack and lifting out a smaller one. “However, we are not sexually involved.”

The redness on Wufei’s face darkened, a strange noise emitting from his closed mouth. Heero sent him a questioning look, but Wufei just shook his head and retreated. Confused, Heero continued to sort and fold the laundry, unsure of why the other teen had reacted in such a manner; all he had done was correct a misconception.

Duo rolled over the back of the sofa, landing on his stomach with a loud ‘Oomph!,’ and setting his head onto the palms of his hands in rapid movements.

“Ya still doin’ this?”

“Obviously,” Heero replied, setting down yet another towel. For a small home, there were many towels, or so Heero thought. He, himself, only used a single towel that was small and easy to transport. He figured most of these came with the house they were borrowing.

“So, Tro’s hangin’ with the clowns again?” Duo asked and Heero’s hand, which was placed on the basket as he was about to grab another piece of laundry, tightened. He heard the plastic frame crack under his grip.

“You went on my laptop.”

“It wasn’t on your laptop, Hee-chan. It was deleted. Anyways, you didn’t answer me.”

“You obviously read the email.” He heard Duo let out a sigh, a breath of air containing words too soft to understand, before speaking in a tone that allowed him to hear the other boy clearly again.

“Well, I’m gonna follow up on his intel, see if I can’t bring our missing man back. If I make contact with Trowa, I’ll give ya a heads up. If I don’t, I’ll give ya a heads up.” Duo rolled again, letting his body move into a crouch before pushing off the floor into a standing position, strolling out of the room in the same silent fashion in which he had arrived. Even though the other boy couldn’t hear him, he still gave an answer to the unspoken question.

“Understood.”

* * *

 

It was easy for people to assume that simply because Heero was raised in a Japanese-cultured colony and Wufei a Chinese one, that they would get along merely due to their Asian heritage. Many of those people forgot that China and Japan were often at odds and didn’t get along back in pre-colonial times, and even less so now. This wasn’t to suggest that the boys were at odds, or even hated each other. No, they had an unspoken agreement to ignore the other’s existence; outside of Duo, that is.

Duo was the main reason conversation was ever started between the two of them. Either Wufei would get annoyed with the American-raised colonist and go fume to the only other living soul in the area, or Duo would annoy Heero, and he would go tell Wufei to stop the boy. Personal conversations - that didn’t involve Duo - didn’t happen. So it was a surprise to Heero that, after having finished his evening meal, Wufei reseated himself at the table and stared at him.

“Is there something I can help you resolve?” Heero questioned, not glancing up from his computer screen. An interesting article on the use of cloning to provide sustainable living conditions to colonists had recently been leaked online, and it was rather interesting to Heero. Wufei nodded - which Heero saw from his peripheral vision - and laced his fingers together before resting his chin upon them, eyes still fixed on his teammate.

“Why is Duo your best friend?”

_Ah, so this had something to do with Duo,_ Heero thought. Good, safe territory (more or less - Duo wasn’t exactly a ‘safe’ _anything_ ) was better than trying to get... friendly with Wufei. He barely managed that with Duo, failed with Quatre, wasn’t sure with Trowa, and had no hopes with Wufei.

“He said I was. So I am.” A safe, and accurate, answer to give. Vague, impersonal, and put all the blame (or credit? He wasn’t sure where Wufei was taking the conversation yet) on their (mutual?) friend.

“Is Barton your friend? Winner? That... female that follows you?”

_Okay,_ Heero thought, _this isn’t about Duo... or not entirely._

“I would not consider them such, unless they consider me to be. I would not deny them if they so wished to claim that title.” Though Relena wished for a rather strange title, to assert his gender role into their friendship. He was aware of his male status, so the ‘boy’ title was unnecessary in the description. It could be a female thing, he mused, to assign gender. He had never met a male who desired to title their friendship as a ‘boy friendship.’ It would make more sense to do so, at least to Heero, as they were both ‘boys’ who had a friendship between them.

“So what does that make us? Acquaintances? Teammates? Friends?” Wufei’s tone had not changed, though Heero did feel a shift in their conversation suggesting that there _was_ a correct answer to this question. Unsure of which answer would be the right one to give, he asked Wufei his own question in return (a useful trick he had learned from Duo).

“Why is this important? Does it matter? Call me what you wish and I will accept it.”

Duo’s speech trick did not work on Wufei, apparently, as he visibly grew annoyed. His voice was sharp, his words harsh as he spoke. “It’s not that easy, Yuy. You seriously expect me to believe you're _that_ passive about interpersonal relations?”

“I do not see the point in making such a big occasion or debate about such pointless titles. If I have time to consider such things in depth, I have time to be doing something more productive.” He had said the exact same thing to Duo, who had laughed and told Heero he had a point. Wufei didn’t seem to believe the same thing. His left arm ( _his gun arm_ , Heero’s mind supplied) twitched, fingers clenching as they slammed against the table, pushing Wufei to his feet.

“Duo doesn’t deserve your friendship. He honestly, for some fucked up reason, gives more than two cents about your opinion in damn near _everything_ , and you could care less.”

_Is the derogatory language natural to your speech, or did you learn that from Duo?_ Heero wondered silently, but gave an answer he now knew would infuriate the other teenager. While friends, Duo and Wufei were clearly two people of vastly different opinions and beliefs.

“I value the opinions and observations of Duo, _much_ more than I value yours.”

“Go to Hell,” Wufei snapped, walking towards the open archway that led to the living quarters. Heero didn’t raise his voice as he replied, knowing full well that his words would be heard.

“I’ll more than likely see you there, if your religious beliefs support the concept.”

* * *

 

It was two days later that Duo returned, empty-handed. His head, however, sported a long, shallow gash that had not been treated; it was scabbed over though, and was not an immediate threat to Duo’s health or functioning. Wufei had wasted no time cleaning and tending to the cut though, listening as Duo complained about his recent failure in acquiring their wayward team member.

“That Cathy chick wasn’t gonna let me take off with ‘im. Started chuckin’ things at me, s’how I got the damn cut, an’ tol’ me she’d give me a free sex change if I ever showed my face ‘gain,” Duo grumbled, his head resting on his folded arms. He sat backwards on a folding chair, his crossed arms resting along the top of the backrest. Wufei was crouched in front of him, the first aid kit open next to his knee and supplies in hand. A disbelieving look settled on the L5 pilot’s face as Duo spoke, finally blurting out the thought that troubled him.

“You gave up a fight to a woman?” Duo nodded emphatically, though he was stopped short when Wufei grabbed his head and jerked it down, leaving a hand in place to keep the riled up boy still enough to swipe cleaning solution along the gash.

“A scary ass ninja lady who sure’s fuck knew how t’use the knives she’s _aimin’_ at my _head_? Yes.” Heero, from his place in the corner where he had been observing silently, decided to give his input; partly to appease the ego of his best friend, mostly to annoy Wufei.

“I do not blame you for your chosen course of action then.”

“Seriously, Maxwell, a _ninja_? That is the best description you can come up with?” Either Wufei was ignoring Heero’s presence, or was still baffled at Duo’s course of action and the decisions that had led to him choosing it.

“Hey, freaky lady with sharp throwin’ knives, black spandex swimsuit, an’ a scary intuition? She’s a fuckin’ ninja if I _say_ she’s a fuckin’ ninja. If she’n Trowa _are_ sib’s, thennit makes perfect sense. Trowa’s a fuckin’ ninja too when’ne wantsa be. God, ever have ‘im jus’ pop up in’da middle’a nowhere, sucker punch ya’ in the gut, an’ pop off ‘gain? Fuckin’ ninjas, all ‘em Bozos. Swear t’god I’ll never set foot inna circus ‘gain.” Duo ranted, though as he finished, his words were more of a jumbled mess than the shouting it had started as. Wufei’s hand had stilled as Duo talked, his mouth falling open slightly in pure shock. He shook his head though, and switched his materials for the sutures.

“If you say so.”

“I _do_ say so. So _there_. Ow, watch where you’re stickin’ that!” Duo yelped, leaping backwards and slapping a hand to his now bleeding lip. Wufei quirked a grin, keeping his voice steady as he tried to give his excuse.

“I apologize, I thought that adding stitches would solve many problems that stem from this location.”

Duo grinned, appreciating the humorous gesture. He waved a hand dismissively while massaging the now sore area. “Yeah yeah, whatever, but I still need’ta eat. So stay ‘way from my mouth, weirdo.”

* * *

 

“So you and Wufei got in a fight when I was gone?” Duo asked from his position on the bed. Heero was sitting at a small desk, reading another article. This one was more historical, documenting how many species of plant and animal life had become extinct over the past four hundred years due to the use of formaldehyde in burial services. He didn’t stop reading as he gave a shrug of his shoulder, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

“He felt that I was unfit to be called your best friend. I merely stated my opinion on the matter.”

Duo chuckled, rolling onto his back and lacing his fingers behind his head. “Ah, Wuffers means well, he just doesn’t get that you have twenty different opinions on everything. He values relationships of any type, doesn’t matter if they’re his family, friends, or lovers.”

“Does he seek to be your lover?” Heero asked, and Duo’s eyes widened as he sat up fast, words spilling quickly from his lips.

“Oh hell no. God, bad image!”

Heero blinked, unsure as to what had triggered such a dramatic response. “I apologize,” he said, though he wasn’t sure if it came out as more of a statement or an actual apology. Duo seemed to accept it at face value though, as he gave a casual, dismissive wave with his arm.

“Nah, though I’m gonna _so_ use that on him. Oh, can’t wait to see his face!” Heero didn’t doubt this for a moment. The obvious amount of pleasure Duo was getting from the thought of such actions was clear, even to someone with limited experience or exposure like himself.

“Then you are welcome.” Duo grinned, slumping back down on the bed, dragging the pillow to his chest and curling his legs around it as he rolled onto his side to face Heero.

“Sure. So he said you’re a shitty friend. How’d you feel ‘bout that? _Did_ you feel anything about it?” Heero frowned, seriously considering the question. Duo did this often, asking him questions that required reflection of concepts or ideas that had not been involved in his training. Duo had once teased Heero, asking him to call him ‘Doctor Duo,’ though the joke didn’t make sense to him. Duo didn’t have a doctorate in any subjects as far as he knew.

“Confused. I can understand if he thinks my opinions and classifications of friendship are not in line with his own, but he seems to find my approach to people passive in comparison to some unknown standard never clarified to me.”

“Okay buddy, what the hell do you mean ‘classification?’ Like the best friend, friend, stranger titles?” The more familiar Duo was back, the one who didn’t ask strange, unusual questions of Heero; this was the Duo who liked using excessive words with little meaning behind them and laughing at others’ misfortunes. This was his best friend who wanted an answer, not some imaginary version with a doctorate.

“Yes. You call me your best friend, Winner says I am a good ally, Barton just calls me a soldier, and I do not know what Wufei thinks of me at this point; though I doubt it is pleasant. Relena gives misleading titles that I am unsure of the proper usage of.” Duo perked up at this; any mention of Relena seemed to be a source of amusement, especially when Heero was involved.

“Oh, this sounds good. What does _she_ call you?”

“She labels me as her male friend. I do not know if it is because she has very few male friends and a multitude of female ones, or if there is an emphasis that has not been explained to me yet.” Duo’s face was blank, and that in turn made Heero question himself. He normally had some type of reaction... but this was a new one.

“Okay, you don’t make sense yet. Keep going.” Heero withheld a sigh (he didn’t want to obtain too many poor habits, he was forming enough of them as it was) as he tried to state what he understood of the situation Relena had instigated.

“She asked if she could be my female friend, which was a cause of concern. If I denied her this title, would she then try to be my male friend? I had told her that yes, she could consider herself to be a female friend of mine, and she was quite pleased.” Something that he said must have made sense to Duo, as his face lightened in understanding - and no small amount of disbelief.

“Wait a fuckin’ second, she thinks that-- Oh my Lord.”

Heero wasn’t sure what Duo had figured out, but whatever it was seemed to have him at a loss for words. This, in itself, was a cause of concern for Heero, as he had never seen his best friend in such a predicament before. In most cases, it was an overabundance of words causing stress and irritation.

“I do not understand.” Duo opened and closed his mouth several times without making a noise, before clenching his jaw and making a sound that Heero could only relate to the time he strangled a guard.

“Okay... Uh... _Fuck_ , seriously dude, you really need to just pick up a book and read. An’ I ain’t talkin’ ‘bout your damn nerdy shit either,” Duo told him, his voice shaky. Heero thought he heard some mirth, but the amount of panic could be causing the inflections to be misinterpreted.

“I did read. From what I have understood, the changing of genders is less complicated than when it was first introduced in pre-colonial times. If I did not wish to acknowledge the feminine aspects of her friendship, she could embrace and become male to obtain my friendship, putting the more accurate label of ‘boy friendship’ into use instead. Then, her friendship status would be similar to the one I share with you.” This didn’t seem to make Duo any calmer; in fact, he seemed to choke even more, waving his hands quickly in front of him and shaking his head rapidly. Duo’s voice cracked as he spoke, and Heero felt that something about that was wrong. Duo had to have finished puberty a few years ago, so his voice should no longer be affected in such a way.

“Holy _shit--_ No! Okay, People Lessons 101. First lesson is that you _really_ need to read something that _isn’t_ nerdy. She was asking if you would consider her a romantic interest, and that she could consider you one as well. She was not asking to merely be a friend with a damn gender. Lesson 2: I am _not_ your goddamn _anything_ except _friend_ , so _never_ say that again. Got it?” That lesson seemed to mean a great deal to his friend, so he nodded his understanding to comply with the terms.

“Affirmative.” Duo let out a breath, letting his shoulders droop. His hands were curled in the hollow his crossed legs formed, eyes tightly squeezed shut. For what reason, Heero didn’t understand, unless Duo had formed a headache. Stress or panic was known to do so, or so he had read. Having never suffered headaches induced by stress or fear, he couldn’t be sure.

“Okay... Dude. Lesson 3: If you tell someone that you don’t wish to be their boyfriend, I very much doubt they’ll go change their bits to make you happy. Knock that thought clean out of your head and never consider it again.” Lesson three made more sense to Heero than the first two, so he was less hesitant to agree to this new knowledge than the other lessons.

“Acknowledged.”

“Lesson 4: Uhm.... Goddamnit go read a fucking book. I can’t think about this anymore.” Duo sprung up from the bed and was out the door before Heero had fully turned in his seat, confused. What book was he supposed to read?

* * *

 

Heero was sleeping again. Or was supposed to be sleeping, but it was slow coming tonight. He had, as Duo advised after tracking him down, read about interpersonal relationships and the different levels and descriptions of them, and now understood why Duo had reacted in the manner that he had. The hard part was figuring out how to inform Relena that she was mistaken in her beliefs.

A bump of the sofa, followed by a warm body, signaled that Duo had decided that he was in need of physical attention. Warm breath blew against his neck, arms tightened around his sides, and a low murmur gave the reason why Duo was there.

“‘m sorry I freaked out on you.” It had been disconcerting, but with his new knowledge it was easier for Heero to understand the triggers that had caused it.

“No, you were within your rights to react in such a manner. I had insinuated that we were involved or heading towards a sexual relationship when that is not the case.” Duo snorted, slapping his arm lightly before pressing himself closer, or ‘snuggling’ as Duo had referred to it in the past.

“I din mean’ta freak out s’badly though,” Duo muttered, burying his nose against the hollow of Heero’s neck and shoulder joint, laughing lightly. “I sounded like a fuckin’ homophobic moron.”

“I did not consider you to have behaved so. I observed you reacting in a manner that suited the circumstances.” Well, he had compared his previous observations against the knowledge presented to him and saw that the reaction was typical between two males who held a close platonic friendship.

“Well, Heero, you’re the Master of Oblivious. Forgive me if I don’t take _any_ comfort from your observation.”

Heero complied, trying to keep his voice bland as he did so. He felt he did rather well. “You are forgiven.”

Duo smacked his arm again, muttering, “Oh, _ha ha_ , good one.”

“You are welcome,” Heero replied again, this time letting some of the humour he felt show in his words.

“Okay, knock it off or I’m knocking out some teeth,” Duo threatened, and Heero couldn’t help but snort.

They were quiet after that for quite some time, Heero aware that while Duo was not asleep, he was in a state of deep relaxation. A strange thought, with no logical origin, formed in his mind.

_Does Duo ever seek out Wufei for forgiveness in such a manner, or am I the only one who’s treated this way?_

He didn’t know what to make of that thought, or why he hoped that Wufei was denied the opportunity to offer forgiveness. Maybe that was a part of being best friends? He had read about the trait of possessiveness, and how it often applied to close friends, solitary children who received siblings in some form or other, and lovers. Duo was his best friend, so Heero concluded that it must be acceptable to feel possessive of him.

“So ‘Ro... How are you gonna tell the spoiled Princess of Lalaland that you don’t want to date her?” Duo’s voice was light, obviously finding humor in the situation. Heero wasn’t sure of the accuracy of the nickname (though he had learned of how friends would use titles or shortened versions of a name to show familiarity), but was aware that Duo spoke of Relena.

He thought back on the articles he had read, and the many suggestions or actions that involved the ending or clarifying of a relationship. When he had been reading the list, many had seemed foolish or useless, and some obviously the wiser course of action. Recalling the one that seemed to be the most applicable to his situation, he shared it with his friend. “I thought it would be best in being straightforward when correcting the mistake, as to not leave any confusion or misunderstanding behind.”

A brush of cool air swirled between their bodies as Duo pushed himself off of Heero, sitting up and staring down at him in pure, unadulterated horror. “Dear Jesus and Mary... Heero. Go read a book.”

* * *

 

Wufei considered himself rather open-minded. He had to, after all; Duo was his friend, and tolerance was no longer a virtue but a requirement. Then having to live with the impossible Heero Yuy on top of that... Some religious sects would consider him among deity for the amount of restraint he had shown these past several days.

The first night he had come down to do a security check, he thought he’d have an aneurism. Heero and Duo were both asleep, limbs tangled (indecently, it appeared, though Wufei had _not_ gone over to inspect them. No, he _hadn’t_ ) and large expanses of skin exposed (which he _hadn’t_ stared at) and Heero had Duo’s long twist of hair secure in his fist.

However, upon questioning the next day, both had denied any relationship between the two of them other than friendship in the strictest sense (Duo more so than Heero), and Wufei had let the matter drop (and he did _not_ have any more thoughts of it over the next few nights) quietly. When Duo had left to find Barton, Wufei had tried to subtly dig for more information on what exactly Heero considered his friendship with Duo.

It was important to Wufei to know. While more often than not he felt like strangling the moron and burying his body somewhere in the woods, Duo was first and foremost his friend. And that was something Wufei took _very_ seriously. If Heero did not value the friendship that Duo offered him in the way that Duo valued any amount of attention given to him by Heero, then the L1 colonist did not deserve it.

And it appeared that he did not appreciate the rare gift he had been given. He had seen the extent Duo was willing to go to during the time spent in confinement on the Lunar base together. Duo had harassed the guards and superiors on the base to the point where Wufei was largely ignored, bringing all the attention onto himself. Many (rather angry and physical) arguments later revealed that Duo had wanted to preserve any strength that Wufei could retain to help aid their escape.

_“S’easier f’r one strong person t’get outta here than two weak ones.”_

And Wufei held up his end of the agreement. They had escaped, recovered, and gained a friendship otherwise impossible. While Duo drove him insane on a daily (hell, on an _hourly_ ) basis, that glimpse he had gotten reminded him of why Wufei couldn’t give into temptation and stab him.

So when he went upstairs the night Duo had returned, he had overheard them. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop (he _wasn’t_ listening for any... unusual sounds), but what he had learned helped him understand the Wing pilot much better.

He was rather naive when it came to people in general, though apparently he knew quite a bit (more than was normal, surely) about the advancement of gender reassignment since the pre-colony era.

He also questioned his judgment of the rather annoying female who was dead-set on finding their teammate. Was she so dense as to not realize that the object of her affections was completely blind to her advances and didn’t understand the concepts of _any_ type of relationship, or was she taking advantage of it and twisting it to suit her personal needs? Based on past encounters and information, he would have been inclined to assume the first option, but she would have needed glasses and special instruction as she grew to miss the rather obvious signs (and Wufei _had_ seen them) of Heero Yuy’s lack of any type of social knowledge whatsoever.

So the following day as he headed down to start his morning routine he wasn’t prepared to find them cuddling (much, _much_ closer than the last time he chec-- saw them) once more on the sofa, Duo pressed as tightly as he could get himself against the other male. The cold, antisocial, clueless male... who was looking back at him.

“Is there something I can help you resolve?” Heero asked, and Wufei snorted, his cheeks flushing.

The blush spread down his neck as Duo’s snickers followed the question, and he barely managed to force out a “No!” before leaving. He had exercises to complete; there wasn’t enough time to (ogle) contemplate his two teammates.

_No, there is never enough time. Always something to do, that’s right,_ Wufei told himself firmly as he stepped outside. _Damn it all._


End file.
